


Moonlight Encounters

by Corpse_Slacker



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23449396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corpse_Slacker/pseuds/Corpse_Slacker
Summary: How can you recover once you've seen the world you once knew shatter to pieces? How can you reconcile relationships bloodied by war and sacrifice?Judai Yuki, distraught and alone, begins to ponder these questions as the fallout of the events in Dark World becomes painfully clear.However, his friends refuse to let him suffer alone.Under the starry night sky, bonds are strengthened and wounds are healed as entwined souls meet on the decrepit roof of the infamous Slifer Red dorm.
Relationships: Haou | Supreme King/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki, Johan Andersen | Jesse Anderson/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki, Yubel/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	1. Shou

One could lose themself to the endless expanse of stars that shone above the Slifer Red dorm that cool autumn night. They seemed to shine brighter over the island that housed thousands of Duel Academia students, as if the dark atmosphere hanging over the land urged the stars forth like the gentle waves below. The moon-- not quite full yet nearly so-- shed a spotlight on the roof where a single student laid on its decrepit shingles. The person in question is a brunet no older than fifteen, sporting a red jacket and denim jeans hanging loose on his hips. He laid with his hands behind his head, carefree as the breeze tangled his unkempt hair further.

If any onlooker were to see beyond the physical realm, they would see the little ball of fluff known as Winged Kuriboh by the youth’s side. The fuzzy creature bounced around happily, its wings flapping to keep it afloat. It nuzzles the cheek of its partner, earning a laugh from the boy that masked the sound of footsteps behind them. 

“Hey,” greeted a small voice from behind the brunet.

Judai turned around to be greeted by the sight of a small boy with light blue hair. The boy sported a jacket of deep blue, worn proudly with neatly pressed slacks. His brown boots were scuffed with red stains, having not been properly cleaned since _the incident._

“Hey there,” the taller teen replies softly. “Why’re you up here at this hour?”

“I should be asking _you_ that question, big bro,” Shou quips as a small frown on his lips becomes evident in the darkness. “It’s past midnight! You just got back from wherever you were last night, and it seems like you haven’t slept since then…”

Judai sighs, opting to stargaze further rather than weakly assure his ‘little bro’ of his wellbeing.

Judai had never been much of a liar, after all.

Shou huffs exasperatedly before taking a seat next to the Slifer Red student on the hole-ridden roof. Rather than looking to the stars, he looks to his long-time friend in concern… And finds himself freezing.

Judai used to always look as if he were about to cause some sort of mischief, his soft lips naturally curling into the sort of smirk that freshmen would swoon over and the teachers would be weary of. However, the smile managed to never hold a hint of malice; it often reminded Shou of the playful fae in storybooks he had read as a child that had brought mirth and joy to those around them… Now, as Judai looked to the stars peacefully, he resembled a battle-worn warrior surveying a historic battle of years past.

_Judai Yuki, the drop-out boy who had been late for the academy’s entrance exam._

_Judai Yuki, the boy whose dreams were vibrant like the stars in the sky_

_Judai Yuki, the Alchemist._

_Judai Yuki, the hero._

**_Judai Y_ _uki, the murderer._ **

Shou shudders as the mental dam breaks, unwanted memories overwhelming in their clarity.

_The shackles falling to the ground as their friends evaporated to dust, the coliseum reeking with blood and sweat as those_ **_monsters_ ** _in the bleachers cheered._

_Realizing he was now alone in an unfamiliar dimension in which it was_ **_kill_ ** _or be_ **_killed_ ** _, realizing he could only trust himself as the deceased Manjoume’s spirit partner followed him for a sense of purpose._

_A sense of belonging._

_There was no such thing as belonging in this cruel world._

_Yet, no world could be cruel and cold as those_ **_eyes…_ **

_The eyes of the Supreme King, golden and icy even as the man he once considered a friend suffered a painful death by_ **_his_ ** _hand._

_His large frame leering over O’Brien with pure_ **_hatred_ ** _and_ **_disgust_ ** _in his tight scowl and bright eyes._

Shou forces his breathing to slow, fingernails digging into his palms so he could feel _something_ that would ground him to reality.

_We’re not there anymore,_ Sho reminded himself. _We’re at Duel Academia. We’re safe, and we have the headmaster and teachers watching over us. There is no way Judai, myself, Manjoume, or any of the others could get hurt like_ **_that_ ** _again._

_Right?_

A gentle hand ghosting over his own pulls Shou out of his reverie. Judai looks him in the eyes, Judai’s gentle gaze asking a clear question.

_Is it okay to comfort you? Do I deserve that privilege, after everything that’s happened?_

Shou grasps Judai’s hand tightly, as if it were a lifeline thrown to a person thrashing about in dangerous, dark seas.

Judai then does something rather _surprising._

He pulls Shou in for a tight embrace, the blue-haired boy’s jacket becoming bundled in his tight fists.Hot tears run down his cheeks, dripping onto the collar of Shou’s jacket.

“Ra, Shou, I… I don’t know what to _say,_ I--”

“It’s okay, big bro,” Shou softly reassures before gently pulling away to meet Judai’s eyes.

“... I missed you, Shou,” Judai says through hastened breaths.

“...Hey, wanna play a game of Duel Monsters? Just you and me, no stakes and no bets.”

“That… Sounds great,” Judai smiles through his tears.

_They were going to be okay. Maybe not now, maybe not in the coming months, but they would heal. Because they had each other, and they were enough._

_As they climbed down the rusted ladder with Winged Kuriboh following behind cheerfully, the stars seemed to shine brighter than before. The heavy darkness faded away as the trio raced to the warmth of Judai’s dorm, replaced by gentle shadows watching over the youths and the spirit patiently._

_They would be okay._


	2. Manjoume

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brunet boy climbs the ladder of a worn-down dorm on the shore, expecting the usual loneliness accompanied with stargazing alone above somber ocean waves.
> 
> This time, however, was anything but an average sleepless night.
> 
> A teenage boy had already been standing on the decrepit roof, clad in a black uniform.

The Slifer student laid alone on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed now belonging solely to him, finding comfort in the darkness of the room as he gazed at the bunk above him without focus. The boy dared not close his eyes; if he did, he was certain that memories of  _ before the incident _ would resurface as vengeful spirits in the stillness of night would. These memories may  _ seem _ warm to those unaware; sharing ghost stories in the darkness of the dining hall with new friends, exploring an abandoned dorm together, saving the academy from the Seven Stars with his comrades by his side…

Judai would be the first to admit; the memories themselves were quite harmless.

It was his  _ current situation _ that had morphed the memories into something harmful and twisted, like a photograph covered in  _ broken _ glass within a  _ broken _ frame.

_ … Maybe I should go cool off, _ Judai sighed wearily before practically rolling off of the mattress. He shrugged on his usual jacket before making his way into the outside world once more. He slammed the door behind him, hoping to leave behind the mess of emotions in the moonlit prison yet knowing deep down that  _ you can’t escape yourself. _

He opted to head to the roof, as the teen usually did every night long after the sun had sunk below the watery horizons. The ritual was calming, cherishing the light of dead stars above the darkness of the seas before inevitably surrendering to fatigue. Nearly as calming as the gentle waves lapping at the island shore was the silence, which bore no  _ expectations  _ or  _ doubt _ .

However, he soon realized that he would not be alone that night. As he pulled himself onto the roof and off of the rusted ladder, he was surprised to see a dark silhouette standing against the light of the full moon seeming to be faced towards  _ him. _

Once Judai’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, there was no mistaking the raven-coloured hair and charcoal eyes of the man before him.

_ Judai’s friend and rival of three years, and a fellow student of Duel Academia. Once a trust fund kid, he had endured hardships and moral growth which  _ **_changed_ ** _ him into the confident and hardened man before Judai tonight...  _

_ Manjoume Jun… _

_ Was this fate? _

"Yo," Manjoume said as casually as ever as the brunet walked across the worn roof of the Slifer Red dormitory.

"Hey," Judai says softly once he reaches the pale boy's side. 

"What are you doing here? Thought you weren't into slumming all that much," Judai adds with a sheepish smile.

Manjoume snickers, looking to the stars above  _ because, if he were being honest, it was a hell of a lot easier than meeting Judai's  _ **_eyes._ **

_ Manjoume acknowledges he had never faced the terrifying presence of the Supreme King himself, but Yubel had loved to taunt their captives. Yubel would rant manically, on the brink of overwhelming excitement as they obsessively watched the King’s every move. Kenzan, Asuka, Fubuki, Kenzan, and himself were subjected to the horrific battle between the monarch and the courageous Jim Crocodile Cook. Manjoume would never admit it to the brunet, but he was  _ **_terrified_ ** _ of what his rival had become. He couldn’t take his eyes off of how his armor glinted in the darkness, and that  _ **_voice…_ **

_ Manjoume refused to believe that a voice like  _ **_that_ ** _ could come from his immature classmate. A voice so commanding, yet holding so much pain behind a cold wall of concrete… _

_ He hated that he underestimated this kid. _

“Hey, you in there?” Judai asks, frowning as his gaze met glassy, raven-coloured orbs.

Manjoume snaps to attention, suddenly aware of how close he is to Judai.

“Yeah; what did you say?”

_ No snarky comebacks, huh? _

“I asked what you’re doing here,” Judai says with unexpected patience and… A soft undertone to his voice?

**_Don’t pity me. Not you, not anyone…!_ **

“I just needed some fresh air,” Manjoume responds stiffly.

“Couldn’t you do that at the Obelisk Blue dorm?”

A tense beat, silence filling the distance between the two teens.

_ … Dammit. _

“... I wanted to see the shore,” Manjoume admits softly as he looks to the crashing waves below.

Judai bursts into a genuine fit of laughter for the first time in weeks.

“Wh… What the hell?! Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing, nothing! I just never expected that from you, Manjoume,” Judai says between gasps as he attempts to recollect himself.

“Well, get over it already!” Manjoume halfheartedly snapped, crossing his arms.

“... Just like old times, huh?” Judai smiles, nostalgic and bittersweet.

_ … Yet another beat of awkward silence. _

“... Hard to believe those ‘old times’ were only a few years ago,” Manjoume sighs, less defensive than before.

Judai chuckles, soft and graceful when compared to the fits of laughter Manjoume had grown used to since freshman year.

“Time’s weird, isn’t it? Moments you cherish go by so fast, but others…” Judai trails off, looking to the ocean shore as if searching for those last words in the fleeting starlight

“Don’t get philosophical on me; I’m way too tired for that shit,” Manjoume chastises as he follows Judai’s gaze.

A comfortable silence-- lasting only a few moments-- passes over them as the darkness surrounds the duo.

“Are you too tired for a game?” Judai asks suddenly, old excitement creeping into his voice.

_ Old habits die hard, I suppose. _

Manjoume hums as he pretends to ponder the offer, but he knew the answer from the moment those words left Judai’s lips.

“On one condition,” Manjoume asserts. “No high stakes, holograms, or whatever. I’m sick of all that,” he sighs.

“Just you, me, and our cards in your dorm; got it?” Manjoume finishes, determinedly meeting Judai’s gaze.

“Gotcha,” Judai grins, lips curling into a smile that was  **almost** familiar.

So the rivals spent the night within the quiet Slifer Red dorm, playing uneventful duels on playing mats like when they were young and unaware of dueling’s true nature. There were no stakes or high-tech stadiums, and even the duel spirits left the duo to “talk” the night away in the odd way duelists tended to.

The real world laid waiting outside the wooden door, shadows lapping at the doorstep patiently. In that world there were no doubt atrocities, monstrous creatures beyond imagination, and scarred souls searching for the warmth of reprieve and rest. There would always be things to improve, and there would always be people in need.

_ And that was okay. _

For now, the duo could reclaim the freedoms of adolescence that had been stolen from them. They could laugh, reminisce, and express themselves without a care.

When they were ready, the waiting world would accept them.

_ Both the light and the darkness. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, I'm extremely sorry this took so long! With constant headaches, quarantine, and the recent depressing headlines, my mental health has taken quite a hit. However, I am very much invested in this work and will absolutely finish it. Now that I've gotten back into the groove of writing and got this hellish chapter written (Manjoume is a very hard character to write!), I hope to write these next chapters much faster.
> 
> With that being said, commissions are open! For more information on pricing and guidelines, please read this: https://twitter.com/KThePotat0/status/1249524450049118208
> 
> I only accept Venmo at the moment! Sadly, all offers of money through PayPal and CashApp will not be accepted.


	3. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, hasn't it?

Firstly, I want to apologize if it seems as if I had forgotten this little piece of fanfiction; I had taken an unexpected hiatus, and had lost the motivation to write for quite some time. Despite my planning and excitement, what I had written felt lifeless and forced; burnout was an issue, which could only be solved through a break. While I don't look back on my writing within previous chapters fondly, I certainly did not forget.

Before I continue, I want to stress that I am not giving up on this. I am quite passionate about all of my works, and this is no exception! I am excited to write more, and all your comments have been so kind.

That being said, I am planning on focusing on my other AO3 work-- _Did You Ever Care?--_ much more. Even if you are not in the fandom that piece is meant for, it will serve as a mark of my progress and change in writing style. I implore anyone that enjoys _Midnight_ _Encounters_ to give it a read; feedback on my writing is always appreciated and helps with motivation more than words can describe. I will work through updates as quickly as possible without sacrificing writing quality, yet I cannot give a definite date for the return of _Midnight Encounters_.

Thank you for your time; updates coming soon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience! It's been quite a while, but writing this has been a joy I'm not depriving myself of just yet. If you want more updates, feel free to follow me on other platforms!
> 
> FOLLOW ME HERE!:  
> Twittter: @Corpse19402481

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading the first chapter of Midnight Encounters! As this my first piece of public fanfiction, please be patient! I hope to improve with practice and time. Also, please keep on the lookout for when I open writing commissions! I can't wait to see what brilliant ideas you all have for both original and fanfiction writings.
> 
> If you want to keep in the loop about my commissions and progress, please follow my other social media accounts!  
> TWITTER: @@Corpse19402481


End file.
